Reading Recommendations & My 'To Read' Pile
Angela Kirwin
Author & Copywriter, Business Growth Consultant, English Language Coach & Trainer.
Obviously, I'm going to suggest Criminal, but you've heard me banging on about my own book for the past 18 months now, so I'm guessing you've either read it, or just want me to shut up.
So, here are my other reading recommendations, if you want to deepen your understanding of social justice & the criminal justice system.
Homelessness & The Care System- Daniel Lavelle, Down and Out
Daniel Lavelle's Down & Out came out on the same day as Criminal, and I was blown away by it. I went to Waterstones to buy my own book, and picked this up instead. Daniel won the Orwell Prize for reporting homelessness and I will never stop cheerleading this book, that tells his story of going through the care system & experiencing homelessness, while weaving in wider policy information & the stories of others who've experienced homelessness.
Prison, Moral Courage & Redemption - Steve Gallant, The Road to London Bridge
I'm lucky enough to call Steve Gallant QGM a mate (I hope, don't embarrass me now Steve). We met through the Howard League, and I've since found out about Own Merit, his social enterprise set up with Darryn Frost .
The two met during the 2019 London Bridge terrorists attack, when on Steve's first day out of prison on day release, he was forced to break his vow as he confronted and fought armed-terrorist Usman Khan while holding nothing but a narwhal tusk.
The Road to London Bridge is coming out in October & I've already got my pre-order in. It tells the story of Steve's imprisonment in 2005, up to that fateful day in 2019, and beyond.
Own Merit supports people to rebuild their lives after prison, including providing support & accommodation.
My own attempts to build a community space in the Italian mountains has been inspired by Steve, and you can read about my progress on the property here.
领英推荐
Prison Reform - Alex South, Behind These Doors
This is on my 'To Read' pile. I often get a bit worried about ex-officers books, but I've heard some great reviews about this one, and from reading the blurb, I think there are going to be a lot of similarities with the message I've tried to convey in Criminal.
I've you've already read it, let me know what you think. I'll bring you my review in the next couple of weeks.
That's all for now. In the meantime, I'm working on my ADHD writing & podcasting (there's an incredibly interesting episode with Daley Jones , Detective in the Met, available everywhere you listen to podcasts) & writing about the Italian property I'm about to start renovating with the intention of opening it up to community organisations in the future here.
Hope you're all having a great summer,
Angie
Media Consultant - social justice
1 年Thanks Angie for taking the time to recommend. Top 2 titles are now on my ‘to-read’ list. Especially keen to read Steve Gallant who I first met in a prison on a visit. He looked set then to change the tired narrative around rehabilitation and success after prison. Now he’s a soon to be published author. Among many other things! Keep up the updates Angie.
Evolving Prisons Podcast Host and Doctoral Researcher
1 年I finally bought Criminal this week and I'm looking forward to reading it! Can I also recommend Andy West book, The Life Inside? A fantastic book with insight into prisons and also how contact or family contact with the criminal justice system can influence how we sometimes talk to ourselves.